W. Bank Palestinians hurt in clashes with Israel troops

Seven Palestinians have been injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRC) reported on Thursday.

“Our crews provided medical assistance to seven Palestinians who had been injured near Nablus, including one in serious condition,” the PRC said in a statement.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces had tried to conduct an arrest campaign in the area, triggering clashes between dozens of Palestinian youths and Israeli troops who used rubber bullets and teargas to disperse them.

According to the Israeli army, 11 Palestinians were rounded up in overnight raids carried out across the West Bank.

The individuals were arrested for “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities”, the army claimed in a Thursday statement, without elaborating.

According to Palestinian figures, some 6,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including dozens of women and scores of minors.

The Israeli army frequently carries out sweeping arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.

The Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories have remained tense since last December, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Trump’s decision was carried out on May 14, sparking widespread condemnation and protest across the Arab and Muslim world.

Since Mar. 30, more than 120 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed in the eastern Gaza Strip — and thousands more injured — by Israeli army gunfire.